Did you know that ‘Infiniti’ is the luxury car
division of Nissan and serves 15 countries? Did you also know that ‘Infiniti’ is
a luxury restaurant right here in the Sheraton Pattaya Resort that serves food
for people in far more than just 15 countries?
With the Sheraton Pattaya being tucked away on Pratamnak Hill you can be excused
if you are unsure of its exact location. Its Infiniti restaurant is situated on
one of the many terraces that make up the unique Sheraton Pattaya, and looks out
over the Gulf of Siam, ideally sited to be able to watch the tropical sunsets.
The Infiniti ambience is the extension of the resort’s ambience, being all
natural wood and sandstone and airy. It would not be overstepping the mark to
use the adjective idyllic. When we were there, despite the oppressive heat we
have experienced in the daytime recently, the breezes from the gulf were
cooling, and we were happy to be in the open air.
We had been invited to dine at Infiniti by Duangmanee Yantawattana (Apple), from
Marketing Communications, and were joined by Joel Vivian, the director of the
kitchen, and for a brief period Dietmar Koegerl, the Sheraton’s GM.
Before we began eating, we just took in the scenery with a Chilean Sunrise
chardonnay. A great way to greet the sunset! The Sheraton also has a very
interesting ‘Wines of the World by the Glass Selection’ with 48 open wines
available from their wine cellar of over 150 labels. If you are somewhat unsure
of what to order, they also have ‘tasting’ sets where you can try three wines
with 50 ml in each glass, which is then equivalent to one full glass. A great
fun way to find your choice for the evening. However, if you know your
preferences, most of the wines start at around B. 1,550 per bottle.
The Infiniti a la carte menu is comprehensive, without being extensive, and is
Italian in direction, but I guarantee you will find items you have not tried
before. For example, scaloppa di merluzzo alla saltimbocca con patate fornarina
e battuto di pomodoro con uva passa e pinoli (B. 690), which for the
non-Italians is grilled snow fish saltimbocca, tomato, raisins and pine nuts and
grilled potato. This was one of the dishes we tried, and it was very good. The
snow fish is wrapped in Parma ham, taking up the tastes around it. Superb.
For starters we enjoyed two dishes - a seared yellow fin tuna Nicoise salad (B.
450), and a warm mozzarella bread with Parma ham and rocket salad (B. 310). Both
of these were excellent.
For a main course, the GM talked us into trying something from the Patagonian
promotions menu. The Patagonian menu has items such as strip loin skewers with
stir-fried miso vegetables, and Korean kimchi-chili-cabbage (B. 890) or a beef
carpaccio with rocket leaves, parmesan shaving, balsamic olive oil and Himalayan
salt (B. 490). We chose the 200 gm grilled rib eye, with enoki, shitake and
straw mushrooms with grilled artichoke, tomato and asparagus and balsamic olive
oil (B. 890). This came as a very substantial portion, so make sure you have a
good appetite if you order it! The grass-fed beef was exceptionally tender, and
I enjoyed it more than the celebrated Wagyu beef, for example.
We finished with another glass of wine and just enjoyed the cool evening
breezes. It had been an excellent dinner, with the elegant hostesses another
‘plus’ for Infiniti.
Make no mistake, Infiniti is an Italian restaurant, but definitely not the
spaghetti with bolognaise sauce and grated parmesan style of Italian food. It is
fine dining Italian, using all the tastes and textures that Joel Vivian can
produce. Incidentally, the Patagonian beef promotion has been extended into May,
having been so popular, and after trying it, I can see why.
If you enjoy good food, like something different to savor, then do try Infiniti.
Not cheap, but the best never is, is it?
Sheraton Pattaya Resort, 437 Pratamnak Road, Pattaya, telephone 038 259 888, fax
038 259 899, open seven days 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Secure valet parking (and
buggies to get you up and down to the restaurant).
Hor Mok
This is a very typical Thai dish and is generally on the
menu of all seafood restaurants. All the ingredients are available at the
local markets. Although the recipe calls for sea perch, any white fish will
do.
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Cooking Method
Pound the red curry paste and add 2 ˝ cups of the coconut cream in a
bowl and stir well. Add the prawns, squid, crabmeat, and sea perch
and stir gently to mix well, adding fish sauce to taste. Make a bed
of sweet basil leaves and shredded cabbage in the bottom of a large
bowl and spoon the seafood mixture onto this. Pour the remaining ˝
cup of coconut cream on top and sprinkle with chilli and kaffir lime
leaf.
Spoon into four banana leaves and place in a steamer in which the
water is boiling and steam over high heat for about 15 minutes.
Remove from the steamer and they are ready to eat. |
Ingredients Serves 4
Prawns de-shelled, de-veined 100 gm
Squid bite-sized pieces 100 gm
Crabmeat 100 gm
Sea perch sliced fillet 100 gm
Kaffir lime leaf finely sliced 1 tbspn
Coconut cream 3 cups
Fish sauce 2 tspns
Sweet basil leaves 2 cups
Shredded cabbage 3 cups
Red chilli thinly sliced 2 tbspns
Red curry paste
2 tbspns
